Back
If the idea of getting up early on Saturday morning to commune with your landscape is an idea that you cherish, but don’t dare pursue because of the high level of maintenance required, you may be surprised to find out that a perfect garden doesn’t always require backbreaking labor or gallons of water to keep it alive. In fact, there are lots of ways to make gardening easier and increase the time you have to spend glancing at your pert little petunias.
Keeping a garden used to be a massive labor of love, with a huge emphasis on the labor part. But people have been keeping some kind of plant life semi-domesticated since the dawn of human evolution. And, since the dawn of evolution, we’ve been trying to make the process easier and more productive. Whether you’re growing fountain grass or exotic herbs, there’s something on this list that’ll improve your gardening experience:
Sprinklers. The old standby for greener lawns everywhere, sprinklers can be used in other situations, too. For example, if it’s a nice sunny day and the risk of water standing on leaves is small, use one to water your vegetable garden plot. You can also help young trees and shrubs get a good start by sprinkling them gently every warm, dry day.
Drip irrigation. Sprinklers are great for big areas, but what do you do when you just want to water a few specific plants? Drip irrigation is the answer you seek. You can use these systems with basic timers or upgrade to a much more sophisticated system that will let you slowly drip water at the base of plants that don’t like water on their leaves or otherwise need individual care.
Native plants. There’s no such thing as a plant that needs zero attention, but native plants come pretty close. Instead of having to fret over special care for plants that are delicate in your area, choose the ones that have spent generations evolving there. For prairie dwellers, native grasses are a great start; those in the desert can do some pretty incredible things with barrel cactus and dramatic succulents. Visit your local nursery or ask your landscaper what plants are native to your area.
Containers. From pots on the patio railing to gutters loaded down with strawberries, containers make gardening so much easier. You can start with the perfect soil mix, ensuring that drainage isn’t a problem, then add a little fertilizer and your favorite plants. Now you just have to water and watch those babies grow.
Vertical gardens. Plants in and on the ground tend to end up in a mess — especially if those plants are vines! Vertical gardening isn’t limited to these twining climbers, you can also hang levels of containers, allowing you lots of extra space for growing things. Like with any containers, you are totally in control of the environment, but vertical gardening minimizes bending and kneeling. Win-win.
Whether you’re hanging a picture or mounting a television, anything that goes on your wall needs something to anchor it in place. If there’s a stud in the wall that you can attach it to then you’re fine; you’ve got well-supported wood to drive a screw into which will hold whatever you’re mounting in place. If you can’t find a stud where you need one, though, you could have a problem. That’s where drywall anchors come in.
Drywall anchors are small pieces that are slightly larger than the screws you’re using on a project. Depending on the type of anchor you’re using it might be made of plastic or metal, with small fins sticking out from the outside of the anchor body and a hole in the middle that runs the length of the anchor. The anchors go into the wall, then your screw goes into the hole. As you screw it in, the screw digs into the anchor body in much the same way it would with wood to ensure that the screw won’t slip out.
Anchors are designed to provide a tight fit for your screws. As the screw goes in, the anchor is forced to spread out and open up a bit. This pushes the body of the anchor against the sides of the hole you put it in, causing those little fins to dig into the surrounding drywall. The fins are positioned to go in easy but resist coming out, giving you a solid mounting even though there isn’t any wood or other solid material for your screws to secure to.
There are multiple types of drywall anchors. Choosing the right one for the job you’re working on helps to reduce unnecessary damage to your drywall and ensures that the mounting is strong enough for the load it needs to bear. To ensure that you have the right drywall anchor for what you need to support, try to get an estimate of the weight of the load and check the packaging of different drywall anchors to find an anchor that can hold that much weight.
If you have a relatively light load, you’ll probably need a plastic anchor. The most common of these are known as expansion anchors and are essentially plastic sleeves that you hammer into a drilled hole and that simply spread out as you insert a screw. There are also threaded plastic anchors that look like oversized screws; they work similarly, except you screw them into place instead of hammering them. Regardless of the type of plastic anchor you use, the purpose is still to dig into the drywall and hold a screw in place.
For heavier loads you’ll likely wind up with a metal anchor. Though you may see some threaded metal anchors, the most common metal anchors are known as molly bolts and feature a metal sleeve with a screw already inserted into them. You hammer these into place as you would with an expansion anchor, then remove the screw. Once you’re ready to mount you place the screw back into the anchor and start tightening; this causes a portion of the metal sleeve to pull toward the screw, expanding metal arms on the other side of the drywall to create a much more secure fitting.
If you have an even heavier load, you’ll need to use a toggle bolt instead. These anchors consist of a metal bolt with foldable metal wings that the bolt screws into. You have to fold the wings so that they lie over the bolt, then insert them into a hole large enough that they can fit through to the other side. Once on the other side the wings will expand, preventing the bolt from coming back out. Make sure that there is a washer or something else that’s large enough to cover the hole, though, or the bolt head could slip through the hole and you’ll lose your toggle bolt into the wall.
In most cases, if a drywall anchor fails then it simply wasn’t the right type of anchor for the job. Trying to use smaller or weaker anchors for heavier loads will often result in failure because they simply don’t achieve enough grip on the surrounding material to hold the load. In some cases, though, the drywall itself may be too weak or the anchor you use may have been intended for a different material. Be sure to match the anchor to the weight and the material to minimize your chances of anchor failure.
For other great tips be sure and check out our friends at HomeKeepr!
Have you heard about our "Springs Communities"?
As temperatures continue to change, you never know what you are going to wake up to every day! One thing is certain- Spring is in the Air! With Spring, thoughts immediately go to new flowers, the dead grass is starting to show some life and plans are being made for the garden. All things are becoming new!
What about a New Home? Are you tired of your worn out, out of date, long list of "honey-do" home?
Spring is the time to find that NEW place and begin planting roots somewhere else this year!
You are in luck! We have some great options for you.
Lifestyle takes center stage at one of Landmark Fine Homes newest communities, "The Springs", which are located in Edmond, Norman and the Mustang/Yukon area.
The community clubhouse is a welcoming facility that boasts many amenities to stay both socially and physically active. Here the residents can get in shape at the state of the art fitness center or swim laps in the community pool. Enjoying a cup of coffee with neighbors, watching a sporting event or taking a class at the clubhouse is only steps away from your front door. Monthly community gatherings allow you to truly know your neighbors. If you are ready to become part of a gated exclusive community, retire your lawn mower and enjoy a community where lawn maintenance is included, this is the community for you.
The homes in The Springs range from 1600 square feet to over 2000 square feet MOL and can be customized to fit your needs. A smaller square footage with Upscale Amenities!
All three of these communities have homes that are open in this years Spring Parade of Homes. Be sure and go check them out!
Spring is in the air which means it is time for the Central Oklahoma Parade of Homes. Landmark Fine Homes has been a part of this wonderful event for longer than we can remember! Since we are members of the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association this event showcases the builders in our area with the latest in design and building science. We have been honored over the years to win numerous design awards which are showcased at our brand new design studio in Norman,
We have 7 homes we are highlighting this year.
Our Model Home at 741 Villaverde Drive in Montoro Ridge in Norman is one that you will not want to miss. We have a family who is chomping at the bit to get moved into this home but we are holding them off to allow you to see it one last time! Loaded with design and technology, this is one you have to see in person!
Don't worry though. If you love this design and want this technology we can custom build it for you!
One of the best parts of owning your own home is that you can do pretty much whatever you want when it comes to hanging things on the wall. You can let your creative side have a heyday with a hammer and a bunch of nails.
For a lot of families, putting a family picture wall together is a high priority in their new homes. It can be a fun project that can be the very first of many happy memories in the new place.
If you hop on Pinterest and search for “family picture wall,” you’re going to find an overwhelming number of ways to put one of these together. There’s no one way to do a family picture wall, since every family is different. There are lots of things to consider while you’re planning your wall, though.
Don’t just start hanging pictures randomingly. Do some real prep work to ensure that your wall turns out as special as what you have envisioned rather than yet another #PinterestFail. These tips should help:
Pick a theme. You need something concrete to get you started in the planning stage. Choosing a theme can be a good place to start, since it’ll inform your image choices as you go through your Google Drive. A theme could be anything from “vacation photos” to “photos with the color blue in them.” The best photo walls have some kind of unifying theme, choose one before you get started.
Use technology to simulate your photo wall. Art.com’s iOS app gives you the capability to not just imagine what an image or set of images will look like on your wall, it actually can virtually add those photos to the wall using augmented reality. The same technology that powers Pokemon Go can help you get great results with your family picture wall.
Choosy kids choose cool frames. The frames you choose are just as important as the images. If you’re looking for something pretty unusual, scour flea markets and antique shops for old frames with unique designs. If you can’t find anything that tickles your fancy, your home improvement store’s trimwork aisle will have some really fancy trim that you can use to build your own frames! These would look great in one of our homes that offer the "Kids Living Area". Check out this one
Incorporate more than photos. Sure, it’s called a “family picture wall,” but who says you have to stop there? Memorabilia from favorite spots, items that reflect interests and hobbies, even accolades like medals have a place on a wall like this. Just make sure that you’re using sturdy materials and secure shelves tightly to the wall to avoid long term issues.
Sometimes, fewer is better. Family picture walls can get pretty overwhelming fast. Instead of hanging every photo you’ve ever taken of your kids, pick the two best from now and the two best from their early childhood. Capture those moments that really meant something and remember that sometimes less is way more. Besides, you’ll want to save some of those embarrassing pictures for leverage later.
We love these tips from our friends at Homekeepr!
If you’re considering listing your home this year, it’s definitely not too late to get started. March and April can be great months for putting your house in front of prospective buyers, but the summer months are also great times to sell.
Regardless of your timing, there are a few things you need to do right now to start getting ready to list. It’s not as simple as sticking a sign in the yard and waiting for the calls to roll in.
You never know who will feel that special feeling people get when they find the house that is just right for them. But you can turn the odds in your favor if you and your home are both show ready long before you open up to potential buyers.
Before you sell your house, you’re going to want to run through this checklist.
Hire a Realtor. A Realtor can point out items that you might not realize are big turn-offs to buyers, like dated lighting, so you can get started on the cosmetic stuff to make your home show at its best. Who should you choose? We would be happy to refer you to some realtors in our area that we have worked with in the past!
Have a home inspection. Wait. Isn’t a home inspection just for buying a house? No! You can have a home inspector out any time you want. Having a full blown home inspection before you put your house on the market gives you a chance to correct items that will likely come up for your future buyer when they have their home inspector out. Get ahead of issues and you’ll sell that house faster.
Get to decluttering. If you have to sell your home in order to buy the next, you’re going to be living in a showroom for the next few months. Take anything you don’t really need immediately and put it in a storage unit. Get it away from your house because pushing clutter around doesn’t really help anything. Declutter as much as you can bear to — it’ll make your house look bigger and more appealing to prospective buyers. All the craze is Maria Kondo these days! If you want tips to declutter, be sure and check out her tips!
Paint the front door. Your Realtor will probably drive home the importance of curb appeal, or how enticing your house is from the street (the curb). The better the curb appeal, the more likely potential buyers will come inside and look around. The interesting thing about curb appeal is how certain elements of your house affect the whole picture. Case in point, Zillow’s 2018 Paint Color Analysis found that a black or charcoal colored front door can bring in as much as $6,271 extra!
Spruce up the landscaping. Along with dressing the front of your house up a bit, make sure that your landscaping is up to par. Prune any unruly plants, replace perennials that may have patchy growth, refresh your mulch, give the lawn a mow. Now that your landscape is radiating amazing curb appeal, keep it that way until your home closes. If you need to hire a landscaper, consider it an investment.
Get copies of your utility bills. People will ask what kind of utility costs are associated with your home. Does it just burn through the natural gas? Does the electricity use seem excessive? This is another place where you can get ahead of potential buyers by putting this information together and giving it to your Realtor on the day you sign your listing agreement.
Deep clean like you’ve never cleaned before. And hey, maybe you haven’t, we’re not here to judge. Even though painting is a quick fix to renewing your home’s interior, deep cleaning is less expensive and can result in a better overall effect. For example, if you clean your windows, inside and out until they’re super clean, you’ll immediately notice how much more natural light penetrates the room.
If you find yourself crunched for time, don’t make up for it by skipping important things before listing. Landmark Fine Homes works with a great online site called the HomeKeepr community. They can be a great asset to help you find the people who can move your home sale along. Whether you need a cleaner, a landscaper, an organization expert or even a home inspector, they've got you covered. Your agent already has a list of recommended service providers who can help, let these experts free up some of your time as you get ready to sell.
We have homes that are currently available or if you are interested in custom building we would love to show you how easy it is! Stop by one of our Model Homes and find out how!
Have your heard of AirBnB or VRBO? It has become the newest way to lodge when you are away on vacation or on business trips. Many people are buying properties for this specific reason.
Check out a few things to consider before you decide if this is a option for you.
As the march into winter gets underway, a lot of people are already starting to plan their spring and summer vacations. Oh, they’ll go somewhere sunny, or to a fantastic resort or maybe, if you’re lucky, your house.
They might as well, you’re going to be going on that fantastic cruise after all. Besides, you’ve heard such good things about being an AirBnB host. Your guests will end up paying for most of your trip, it’s totally win-win.
Isn’t it?
Using your personal home, in whole or in part, as a short-term rental can certainly help pay the bills, but the truth is that short-term rentals also have huge issues you have to consider. It’s not as easy as listing on AirBnB and hoping for the best. You’ll need to do considerable legwork before getting started, otherwise you may find yourself in a lot of trouble and with expensive problems that eat all your profit. Read More......
Every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas we host our annual "Thanksmas Party" to give our employees, trade partners and families we have built for the opportunity to give back to The Salvation Army of Cleveland County. This organization is very dear to our hearts. Santa always comes to make sure everyone has been good and we get the opportunity to have our pictures taken with the Big Man!
Our team also takes a day and Rings the Bell! This is such a staple of the holiday season as much as the BC Clark jingle! If you have never volunteerd, you are missing out! It is such a great way to spread some holiday cheer. When they say, every penny counts, it truly does! We had fun this year and tried to put a really LARGE check into the kettle. Needless to say, it didn't work! Click on the picture and you can check out the video we did!
Our focus on giving back and The Salvation Army is not limited to Christmas Time. We had the opportunity to build The Judy McKown Children's Activity center that opened last year. This beautiful building gives families a safe warm place to go to and be mentored by those in our community.
If you are looking for somewhere to give- check out The Salvation Army!
Do you have a vision in your head of what you want your bathroom to look like but have no idea how to create it?
Our Design Team has come up with a few "Do's and "Don'ts" to get you started
Not sure exactly what your style is? Check out this great article from our friends at Houzz here.
Jerry Arias is the man behind the floor plans at Landmark Fine Homes. During the bid process, you might have liked one of our basic floor plans but decided you wanted to do some changes. Jerry takes those ideas and turns them into realty!
Jerry grew up in Costa Rica so his recipe is one that was shared throughout the year, especially Christmas Eve. No celebration is ended without a good “arroz con leche” (rice with milk) a very traditional Hispanic dessert, very sweet and made with lots of love, and memories to cherish for a life time.
"The main Holiday for us is Christmas Eve where all the extended family gets together. Normally a big party celebrated at the living grandparent’s home. Where the ladies of get together to prepare and cook Costa Rican Tamales (bigger and thicker than your normal Mexican tamales, and each one is wrapped around with green banana leaves), we also cook big pots of “arroz con pollo” (rice with chicken) and veal meat. While the men sit and talk about soccer or watch the best game of the season all over again. The children are just children, running around, playing, climbing trees and becoming friends with any new cousins they missed over the past few years. The teens and young adults just relax and catch up on everyone’s life. Any gifts are given to the children and the grandparents first, all other are done at each family’s home, keeping the families together, The celebration goes on all morning through the late night, until the last one leaves after cleaning the grandparents’ home. "
ARROZ CON LECHE (COSTA RICAN RICE PUDDING)
COOK TIME
30 mins
TOTAL TIME
30 mins
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
Online Source: http://www.oliviascuisine.com/the-world-cup-gourmet-series-costa-rica-arroz-con-leche-rice-pudding/